Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Jewel Henry Arthur Callis – Jewel Charles Henry Chapman – Jewel Eugene Kinckle Jones – Jewel George Biddle Kelley
Jewel Nathaniel Allison Murray – Jewel Robert Harold Ogle – Jewel Vertner Woodson Tandy
Since its founding on December 4, 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has supplied voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world.
Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans, was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of Brotherhood among African descendants in this country. The visionary founders, known as the “Jewels” of the Fraternity, are Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy.
The Fraternity initially served as a study and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice, both educationally and socially, at Cornell. The Jewel founders and early leaders of the Fraternity succeeded in laying a firm foundation for Alpha Phi Alpha’s principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity.
The Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was established on December 30, 1907 by Jewel Eugene Kinckle Jones, at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. It holds the distinction of being the third chapter of the fraternity, following the Alpha Chapter (Cornell University) and Beta Chapter (Howard University).
Gamma Chapter played a crucial role in expanding the presence of Alpha Phi Alpha in the southern United States. Virginia Union University, an HBCU, became a hub for promoting academic excellence, leadership, and civil rights activism, values deeply embedded in Alpha Phi Alpha’s mission. Over the years, the chapter has maintained its commitment to developing leaders, promoting brotherhood, and uplifting the community, contributing significantly to both the fraternity and the university’s legacy.
Charter Members
–Simeon Saunders Booker
–Ferdinand Douglas Bluford
–Compton Augustus Cleveland
–Beale Elliott
–Richard Presley Graves
–James Marcellus Lewis
-Cecil L. Rowlette